Hospital-buggy.



No. 65l,605. Patented lune l2, moo; L. E. HOFFMAN.

HOSPITAL BUGGY.

(Application filed Feb. 12, 1900.)

(No Model.)

THE mums PETERS PuoTau nu, WASHINGTON. n c.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS E, HOFFMAN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

HOSPlTAL-BUGGY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 651,605, dated June 12,1900/ Application filed February 12, 1900. Serial No. 4,928. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS E. HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hospital-Buggies, of which the following is a specification, that will enable those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention consists in certain improvements in the construction of hospital-buggies, whereby I am enabled to produce a vehicle that is lighter, stronger, more graceful, and more easily manipulated and kept in good sanitary condition than any other now on the market of which I have any knowledge.

The accompanying drawings show my invention in the best form now known to me; but certain changes within the skill of a good mechanic and not requiring the exercise of invention might be made in the details thereof without departing from the spirit of my invention, as set forth in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a plan or top View of a hospital-buggy embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; and Fig. 3 is a view, partly broken away, showing in vertical section the pivoted fork-stem and ball-bearings of one of the pilot-wheels of the buggy. I

The frame or top A is rectangular and preferably made of tubing, either bent at the corners or furnished with rounded corner-pieces, upon which the side and end tube-pieces are lapped and brazed in the manner of ordinary bicycle-frame construction. In each side of the frame, near the forward end, is a depression a in the frame-bars. These maybe formed by bending the tubular frame-bars or by means of separate metal blocks of the required shape, onto which the tubular framebars are lapped and brazed. These depressions a are made to receive the heads and caps of the pivotal fork-stems of the front pilot-wheels B, below the general top of the frame, thus leaving the frame practically flush on its upper surface. Rigidlyconnected to each of these frame depressions and extending downwardly therefrom are tubular sockets O, in which are mounted the steinsb of the forks B of the pilot-wheels. Ball cups or races 0 c are suitably secured in the ends of the sockets O and are opposed by corresponding ball-cups b b on the fork-stems, the upper cups 1) being screwed onto the stems for purposes of adjustment, &c., and are locked against rotation by non-rotatable washers b and jam-nuts b. A cap or plug 0 closes the upper end of each fork-stem and provides a neatly-finished appearance.

Each rear wheel D is mounted in a regular bicycle-fork d, which embraces the wheel at each side and supports the bearing pin or axle d. Each fork is brazed or otherwise rigidly secured at its'crown to the frame A. Each rear wheel is also embraced by another fork E, which extends forwardly from the axle d and is rigidly connected at its bend or crown to a stay or brace bar e, which extends to and is rigidly connected with the tubular socket C of one of the pilot-wheels. The pilot-wheel sockets are connected at or near their lower ends and braced laterally by a bar 0, which is brazed at each end to a socket. The rearwheel forks D and'E are also similarly braced by lateral bars f and 6', respectively.

The buggy is specially adapted to carry a stretcher, the frame G of which is shown in the drawings, but with the cross webbing omitted. This stretcher-frame is preferably longer and slightly wider than the buggy frame or top A, and when in operative position it rests upon strong metal hooks or projections g, which extend from the frame A. The stretcher-frame is also provided with short legs g, upon which it rests when removed from the carriage and deposited upon the floor.

The wheels I employ are preferably of the wellknown type used in bicycles, with wire suspension-spokes and, pneumatic tires h, thus securing lightness in construction, with noiseless operation and also positive freedom from jolts and vibration, which might be irritating to a patient in transport. By having the rear Wheels of my buggy on fixed axles while the pilot-wheels are mounted in the swiveling forks the direction of movement can be perfectly controlled by a person pushing at the rear.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A hospital-buggy the frame of which is supported upon and above four wheels, the rear wheels being mounted upon fixed axles while the front pilot-wheels are mounted upon axles carried by forks the stems of which are independently pivoted in the frame, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. A hospital-buggy having a rectangular tubular frame, tubular sockets depending from the side bars of the frame and provided vided with a brace-bar secured to the lower s end of the tubular socket, substantially as hcreinbefore set forth.

1-. The combination of the rectangular tubular frame with depressions formed in the side bars, tubular sockets depending from the depressions, pilotwhcels having their forkstems pivotallysupported in the tubular sockets, rearwheels the axles of which are rigidly supported in forks depending from the frame and braced at their lower ends by bars extending to the lower ends of the sockets substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

5. The combination of' the rectangular frame the rear forks depending therefrom, the axles supported in the rear forks, a lateral brace-bar connecting the inner bifurcations of the rear forks, tubular front sockets depending from the frame, a lateral brace connecting the lower ends of the sockets, bracebars extending from the sockets to the rear axles and forked at their rear ends, with lateral brace-bars connecting them at or near their mid-lengths, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I sign this application, in the presence of two witnesses, at Cleveland, Ohio, this 25th day of January, 1900.

LOUIS E. HOFFMAN.

Witnesses:

AGNES L. RYAN, J II. J ONES. 

